NEWTON, Iowa — A 20-year-old Newton man who was reported missing while walking across the United States is safe, his family said Saturday.

Daniel Landgrebe was last heard from on June 24 when he was in Salt Lake City, so his mother, Susanne Landgrebe, filed a missing person's report, which started a nationwide search. Daniel is in Big Sky, Mont., headed to Bozeman, and after that he will start heading home.

"I was upset at him for not calling me because he knows better, but I guess most of all, I'm just so relieved and so happy that he's well," Susanne Landgrebe said. "And so very happy that it's a happy ending."

Daniel Landgrebe headed to Jackson, Mont., to write a book about what it was like to travel off the grid, but he fell a little too far off the grid when he broke his promise never to go more than five days without making contact. The 20-year-old said he trusted a friend to call his family when he knew he'd be out of touch for a while, and that person forgot to call.

Daniel Landgrebe told his mother he had no idea that he was considered missing and felt terrible for trusting the friend to call his mother.